Core Keeper so far seems to be a great new game if my few hours of experience and the Steam reviews have anything to say about it. However my first hour with the game I was constantly met with a “No Network” error when trying to join a friend’s game. Here I’ll discuss how we finally fixed the issue to hopefully help other players get around this issue as well!

No Network Core Keeper Error 

You may encounter this issue when trying to join a friend’s game using the code they gave you. When you try to join, you will immediately see a simple message that says “No Network.” It doesn’t seem related to the user’s actual internet connection in any way, as I verified repeatedly my connection was fine. Other users on reddit and the Steam forums have mentioned running into this problem as well. Another symptom of this problem is that when you create your own game, then hit Escape to view your game’s code, there is no code listed there. You may also see “Game Not Found” error messages at some points, or when you create a game, it will say “Game ID: None” – all seem to be caused by the same problem.

Solution for “No Network” Error  in Core Keeper When Trying to Join Game

The quick fix we found was to switch the game to the Beta that is already built into Steam. (Although it took a while of Googling and asking on the game’s Discord server to find this.) To access, this, open Steam, go to your Library tab, and on the right in the vertical list of all of your games, right click on the “Core Keeper” game. Select Properties, then go to BETAS. There you will find a drop down list where “experimental – Testing a new network backend” is listed. Select that option, then close the properties window. Steam will now begin downloading this Experimental branch of the game, which apparently uses  a new method of connection to other people’s games.

However, be sure to read the next section on potential downsides of running the beta branch.

Beta selection screen

Core Keeper Experimental / Beta Version

Important note: Because this is an experimental, beta branch of the game, it is definitely possible that your save game while made while running the experimental branch could become incompatible with future updates. This is always a risk with any Early Access game anway, but a beta branch is even riskier. The developer does not seem to have said one way or the other if you will lose progress. One thing you can do is manually make a copy of your save file occasionally:

• Core Keeper Game Save File Location: C:\Users\<User>\AppData\LocalLow\Pugstorm\Core Keeper\Steam\<Your Steam ID>

Other Solutions for the No Network Error, or Game Not Found Error

If you’re still having problems, you can head to the game’s Discord channel and ask there. The people seem very friendly and the community seems quite active. You can also submit a bug report about the issue. The link to the bug report form is in the discord channel.

Still Not Working?

First you’ll probably want to go back into the Beta window mentioned above and select “None” to set your game back to the non-experimental version. From there, you can try a few of the following general troubleshooting tips, but be aware the issue may be with the game itself:

• Open / Port forward the following ports on your router or modem: UDP ports 27015-27016. (These are the ports used on the dedicated server and possibly in regular version of the game too.)
• Make sure you are online in Steam
• Uninstall and reinstall the Core Keeper Game
• Verify Integrity of the game’s files in Steam
• Restart Steam and apply any Steam or Core Keeper game updates
• Check your internet access via a browser or other method
• Reboot your computer
• Try joining your friend’s game via Steam invite or right click on their name and click “Join Game” (did not work for me.)

It’s important to point out that the game is in Early Access, and although I couldn’t find any official word from the developer on this issue, because they have a beta with a new network mode, it would seem they are aware of the problem and are working on a fix. The new network mode also seems to have a dedicated server option!

If you’re still running into issues, or if you find a solution, please leave a comment below! Hopefully you can get the game working as it seems to be a lot of fun for anyone looking for a dungeon crafting / exploration / survival game.